Purple Drank And Sizzurp: The Realities of Sipping on Lean
Lean looks like a colorful party drink and is glamorized as a lifestyle in certain types of music, but that doesn’t make it safe. It feels harmless at first, but its effects can quickly become dangerous.
This is because lean contains codeine, a powerful opioid that can slow your breathing and create dependence, especially when combined with alcohol. This increasingly popular drug has led to the deaths of several well-known entertainers, most recently the rapper Juice WRLD.
But what is in lean the drug (what is it actually composed of), and how does it affect your body?
Our blog article and resource on this emerging drug from Purpose Healing Center will go over what is exactly in lean, and how it affects you, so that you can see past the hype and recognize the risks.
What is in Lean? (Also Known as Purple Drank)
Lean goes by many nicknames; sizzurp, purple drank, or dirty sprite. It’s a drink with a sweet taste and strong effects, made by mixing prescription cough syrup with soda and candy for sweetness.
This trendy beverage got its start in rap and hip hop as a form of drug abuse, but trendy does not mean safe. By understanding exactly what’s in lean and how it can affect you, it becomes clear that it isn’t as safe as it might seem.
Codeine and Promethazine
In the short-term, lean makes you feel faded, happy, and relaxed. Its “floaty” effects come from its main ingredient: prescription cough syrup. Cough syrup contains codeine and promethazine.
The codeine works with your opioid receptors, reducing pain and making you feel euphoric. Promethazine is an antihistamine that makes you feel more drowsy, intensifying how the codeine makes you feel.
A Soft Drink of Some Kind (Often Sprite)
The carbonation and sweetness of soda are added to lean so you don’t notice the bitter taste of cough syrup. As it gets easier to drink, though, there’s a bigger risk you’ll accidentally drink too much codeine. Soft drinks themselves aren’t harmful in lean, but when you combine them with a prescription medication, it creates a false sense of safety.
This combination also gives the name mentioned above, which also happens to be the name of a pair of Future albums.
Hard Candy
The hard candy, like Jolly Ranchers, that is dissolved in lean, serves a similar purpose as soda. It makes lean feel more fun and colorful. Hard candies also give it a sweeter taste.
This presentation makes it more popular, especially among younger crowds and music culture. Taking lean just may not seem like “a big deal” with so many musical artists talking about it, but certainly, the drug can become addictive and harmful when taken regularly.
What Happens When You Drink Lean?
If you’ve taken lean, it likely made you feel like your limbs were heavy, or even like you were floating. The opioid effects of codeine cough syrup help you relax and even seem pleasurable.
If you drink too much lean, though, you may develop symptoms similar to an opioid overdose.
Your breathing might become dangerously slow or even stop. You can experience confusion, nausea, constipation, and poor coordination. If you keep using lean, despite these side effects, there’s also a risk of physical dependence.
How Common is Lean Use?
Lean was first popularized in the blues scene, all the way back in the 1950s in Houston, Texas. It became more popular as it was mentioned in rap and hip-hop in the decades that followed.
Even today, lean use (and this form of substance abuse) is considered trendy in some circles. It isn’t as popular as alcohol or marijuana, but with the way lean is interwoven through culture, many teens and young adults have tried this drug.
The one thing that stands in the way of lean being as widespread as it is availability. Lean is made using prescription cough syrup that might be obtained through friends, family, or illegal sales.
Lean in Rap, Hip Hop, and Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
Lean has been romanticized in music for decades, especially in rap and hip hop, where people use lean as a symbol of status or creativity. With big-name artists using it, the young fans who look up to them are also susceptible to this trend.
Lean is also popular in the electronic dance music (EDM) scene. Party culture usually intersects with substance use, and lean is no exception.
Unfortunately, reality isn’t as glamorous as the big stars make it out to be. Artists have also spoken out against using lean, despite its romanticization, and some have even lost their lives after using it.
Does the Use of Lean Have Any Risks?
Few teens and young adults worry about what might happen when they use lean for the first time. At the moment, it’s likely that your focus is on having a good time or relaxing with the drug. The biggest risk of lean consumption comes from mixing it with other drugs or alcohol. Anything that slows the central nervous system makes effects like respiratory depression worse. You might even stop breathing.
Other risks of using purple drank, especially in high doses, include slowed heart rate, low blood pressure, and impaired judgment. Long-term use of codeine is extremely dangerous, as it can damage the liver and affect your mental health. You can also easily become addicted.
As you use lean more frequently, your body and brain start to depend on it to feel “normal.” You’ll likely experience withdrawal symptoms when codeine leaves your system, similar to what you’d experience after quitting prescription opioids.
How Mixing Alcohol with Lean Makes it Worse
Lean is considered a party drug in some circles, so it’s no surprise that you might try mixing alcohol with lean to intensify how it makes you feel. When you take two central nervous system depressants, you can quickly find yourself in a dangerous situation.
Both substances lower your heart rate, make you breathe more slowly, and can lead to unconsciousness or even death.
Mixing alcohol with opioids (including codeine) is one of the leading causes of overdose death across the United States. Lean might seem like a casual drink, but adding alcohol increases the risks dramatically. It’s a combination that’s never safe.
The Lasting Effects of Drinking Lean on Your Mental Health
Outside of immediate risks, codeine misuse harms mental health. The codeine disrupts your brain’s chemistry, making it hard to regulate moods. You might feel anxious, depressed, or just have mood swings. In this mental state, you also may be looking for an escape.
It’s tempting to use it again and again to cope with the stress. Unfortunately, you feel worse as the effects wear off. This leads to eventual dependence.
Drinking lean also stops you from processing life in a healthy way. By ignoring the issue and suppressing your emotions, it’s impossible to have a healthy mental state. You can also experience difficulty concentrating or memory problems after using codeine syrup for an extended time.
When to Consider Treatment Options for Lean Abuse
Lean is addictive, and it interferes with your health, damages relationships, and makes it hard to function in daily life. If you find yourself craving lean when you can’t use it or withdrawal symptoms when you stop, it might be time to consider getting treatment.
You may not have heard of people getting treatment for lean, but that doesn’t mean that support isn’t available. At Purpose Healing, treatment starts with medical detox.
We help you safely come down from the drug and make it through withdrawal. Following detox, we offer a range of inpatient and outpatient treatment options to help you heal. You’ll learn strategies to help you quit lean for good and address the reasons you may have started using it in the first place.
Lean Use and Co-Occurring Disorders
Misuse of codeine products commonly exists alongside other substance use disorders, or even mental illness like depression, anxiety, or trauma. This is called a dual diagnosis.
If you get treatment to help you stop using lean, without addressing why you were looking for an escape in the first place, there’s a much higher risk of relapse.
This doesn’t mean you’ll use lean again necessarily, but you might turn to alcohol or other drugs to get the same effect.
Get Help Overcoming Lean Addiction at Purpose Healing
The dangers of lean go far beyond its sweet, bubbly taste and relaxing effects. When used recreationally, codeine cough syrup is incredibly dangerous. It comes with a risk of respiratory depression, or even death, if you mix it with other depressants or take too much.
Even if you do manage to use it safely, with continued use, the risks just intensify.
At Purpose Healing, our team is waiting to guide you through the steps to get your life back on track. Whether you need help through detox or are looking for support as you quit, you don’t have to do it alone. Call us and start taking the steps toward a healthier life and more clarity today.
480-579-3319